Comatose

Chapter 19

Chapter 19

                Turning away from the out of place ornament Angelica nearly missed the boys’ silent interaction.  The two of them glanced at each other before giving one another a slight nod.  As they finished descending the staircase they both wore looks of determination which they replaced with smiles before entering the kitchen.  Following in their wake Angelica hoped crossing over the threshold of the room didn’t throw her into another memory.  Sighing in relief Angelica found the scene continuing from earlier.  Perhaps in order to jump locations it had to be a true doorway she had to cross and not just the entryway between room.  She rolled her eyes at her folly.  She should have known better.  Without thinking she leaned back against the fridge.  She jerked as she made contact with it instead of falling right through it like she had feared when she realized what she was doing at the last second.  Deciding to think on it later she turned her attention back to the occupants of the room.  The boys had moved to either side of her as she rinsed some fruit in the sink.  She watched as they silently counted down before moving in.  They moved together smashing her in between them while they both gave her a bear hug from either side.  Angelica chuckled to herself as she watched the past her squeal for them to let go.  She wondered if boys ever really grew up at all. 

                As if drawn by Angelica’s distress the girls clamored into the kitchen laughing at the scene they stumbled upon.  Pushing herself away from the fridge Angelica glanced between Jacob and Rebecca.  While Jacob seemed to be pointedly ignoring the young woman Rebecca blushed lightly when she looked at him before quickly glancing away.  Tiffany elbowed her friend playfully while wiggling her eyebrows at her causing Rebecca to blush a deeper shade of red.  Moving her gaze to the other three people in the room Angelica caught her son looking at Jacob curiously as Jacob rolled his eyes in response.  It looked to Angelica that Rebecca liked Jacob quite a bit, but the feeling did not appear to be mutual between them.  That was something else she wished boys would grow out of.  She really hoped that he wasn’t just using the girl out of boredom.  Tyler smirked at his friend before turning his attention back to his mother. 

                “You know that you’re supposed to look both ways before crossing the street right mom?”  She surmised that Jacob had gone running to his friend and ratted her out. 

                “What are you talking about?”  Angelica asked looking genuinely puzzled by her son’s question.  Angelica looked at herself in shock.  She knew that there was a lot on her plate every day, making sure her family was cared for and that the household ran smoothly.  However, the near hit happened not even 15 minutes before.  Surely she wasn’t that distracted that the incident had just left her mind completely.  Tyler looked at his mother as if she was a complicated puzzle.  Angelica groaned at the whole scene thoroughly blown away by the incompetence she seemed to have at times.  Tiffany looked over sharply from where she sat on the floor giving Cooper belly rubs.

                “Yeah Tyler what are you talking about?”  Tiffany raised from the floor moving to lean against the kitchen island joining in on the conversation.  Tyler slung his arm around Angelica’s shoulder giving her a bit of the stink eye as if she were a child that had done something wrong.

                “Mom ran out in front of a car and nearly got hit.  You’re lucky the driver saw you and stopped in time.”  He chastised her.  She rolled her eyes at her son as she pushed his arm from her shoulder.  Angelica walked across the kitchen to lean against the island next to her daughter watching the interaction along with her.  She wondered how they would have reacted if they had known what really happened in the street earlier.  She snorted in amusement knowing full well luck had nothing to do with the fact that she hadn’t been run over that day.

                “I was delivering Helen’s mail that was given to me by mistake.  I’ll admit that I shouldn’t have run out into the street without looking but that old woman and her creepy cat freak me out.”  her memory self explained to her son while visibly shivering.  Tyler chuckled at her reaction as Jacob rubbed the top of her head vigorously teasing her as one would a sibling.

                “You could have asked me or Tyler to take it over for you.  If she bothers you that much one of us would have.”  Jacob offered as Tyler nodded in agreement.  Jacob smiled mischievously as he moved to Tyler’s side leaning on him in camaraderie.  “Besides, we could have given her something to look at.”  He offered while wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.  Tyler burst out laughing probably thinking of the many ways he could take that statement. 

                “You two would give her a heart attack.”  Tiffany pointed out causing both boys to roar with laughter.  Turning to her mother she added her own opinion.  “I agree with them though, anyone of us could have done it for you.  You’re too nice sometimes mom.”    Angelica observed the reactions of the five of them as three of them continued to lecture her.  The only one not joining in on the gang up was Rebecca who had been scowling at Jacob since his comment earlier.  Angelica shook her head as she watched the young woman.  She had it bad and she didn’t see it ending well.

                The riot of activity was brought to an abrupt halt with the slamming of the front door.  All eyes turned in the direction of the noise.  Angelica took in the faces around the room already knowing what was about to happen.  All the kids were looking between each other before the boys moved closer to the kitchen entryway just in case.  It wasn’t long before Kevin came into view scowling at the lot of them hanging out in the room.  Angelica turned her attention to Tyler and Tiffany.  What she saw saddened her.  Tiffany stood next to the island no longer leaning on it.  While she wasn’t openly glaring at her father her gaze wasn’t exactly kind either.  Tyler’s stance had stiffened as did Jacob’s.  The two of them made an intimidating pair as they blocked his way into the kitchen.  Kevin looked between the pair before him as if sizing up his chances against them.  In that moment Angelica wished he had done something that day to cause them to react.  She probably would have thought the act abhorrent at the time but the her now would have enjoyed seeing him get knocked down a peg or two.  Kevin’s gaze moved past the boys to find his wife near the sink dripping water on the floor as she had forgotten the wet fruit she was holding in her hands.

                Cooper moved to Angelica’s side putting himself between her and Kevin as if he were a threat to her.  He had never raised a hand to her in all the years they had been together but just because he hadn’t physically abused her doesn’t mean he had treated her right.  The only one who didn’t seem openly hostile towards her husband at the time besides Angelica herself was Rebecca.  She observed the young woman who still seemed to be openly jealous of her at the time.  She wasn’t sure if Jacob and Rebecca were dating but from the way she was acting it was obvious she thought him hers.

                “You need to be ready in two hours.  I have a business meeting to attend.”  Kevin addressed his wife fully expecting her to jump to his every whim.  Angelica turned her gaze to her past self who was looking at the forgotten fruit forlornly.  She had planned to make a fresh fruit salad for the kids to snack on but now she would have to forgo it.  Not only would she need to prepare one of his best suits for him, but she would need to make herself look impeccable too.  Kevin expected a perfect united image to be presented at these meetings.  She knew all to well from past experiences that he would accept nothing less. 

                Sighing heavily Angelica placed the fruit back into its bag before returning it to the fridge.  She knew it would do her no good to argue and instead moved about to comply with his demand.  Kevin walked away to go relax before he began getting ready himself.  Angelica went to walk around the kitchen island when Tiffany placed a hand on her arm halting her progress.

                “You know you don’t have to go if you don’t want to right?”  Angelica pasted on the plastic smile she reserved for Kevin’s business associates before turning to her daughter.

                “It’s not a big deal sweetheart.  I knew when your father got his big promotion that there would be a few of these to attend.”  She assured Tiffany patting her hand before walking away.  Angelica watched the children as they stared at her departure.  Tiffany, while letting her mother go, held a look of utter defeat.  She looked to Tyler pleading him with her eyes to do something, but Tyler just shook his head knowing nothing could be done.  Jacob watched as well balling his hands into fists at his sides, but he made no other movement to give away what he was thinking.  Angelica turned around to address the youngsters.

                “There’s money in the petty cash to get dinner with.  Behave please.”  She stated as an after thought before leaving the room entirely.  Once she turned the corner the occupants of the room faded from it as if none of them had been standing within it at all.  Angelica figured it was because the memory in this room was done and she had no way of knowing what happened in it after she had left it.

                Deciding to follow her past self out of the room Angelica watched her make her way over to the staircase.  She stopped briefly to look upon her husband who had sat himself in his expensive recliner to unwind.  Angelica moved to the entrance of the living room looking at Kevin herself.  He was reclined back with his feet in the air, eyes shut as if napping like he hadn’t a care in the world.  Frowning Angelica’s eyes moved to the vase of Lilies that still sat on the fireplace mantle.  Turning back to Kevin she found the whole thing odd.  There was no way he could have entered the room and not seen the flowers that sat there.  Yet, he hadn’t said anything, hadn’t removed them, he hadn’t even had an allergic reaction to them.  He had been in the room long enough that he should have shown some signs of discomfort from being around them.  Her children hadn’t reacted to them either for that matter.  Angelica’s eyes once again fell on the prominent vase of stark white lilies.  What on earth could be going on?